Do you have puppies available?

This is the question we get asked the most. Here are a few statuses that you may see referenced on our “PUPPIES AVAILABLE” page during the adoption process:

AVAILABLE: Adoption applications are being accepted for this Puppy

HOLD: 24 Hour hold only for pending depoist to approved home.

RESERVED: Contract signed, reservation fee paid - It is unlikely the Puppy will become available again.

SOLD: Contract signed, paid in full - Puppy is now spoken for.

EVALUATION: Under breeder observation - Puppy is NOT available at this time.

STAYS: Puppy will stay in the breeding program for future showing and/or breeding work.

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PLEASE NOTE: Unless we have Puppies available, the PUPPIES AVAILABLE tab of our website will be hidden, and we may be slow to respond to inquiries via email, website contact form, social media messages etc. We receive dozens of puppy inquiries each month, despite the fact that we are a small program that only produces a small handful of litters each year. For this reason, social media and/or email messages with questions that are already answered on this FAQ page will go unanswered. We appreciate your understanding and patience!

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Can I be added to a waitlist?

Our goal is to find the very best homes for our puppies where they will be forever loved and spoiled. Sometimes that’s the first person that expresses an interest and sometimes that could be one of the very last. In short, we do keep waitlists for those interested but is NOT a guarantee a match will be granted on specific litter you may be interested in. We do accept applications at any time and waitlist reservation deposit is accepted once approved to be placed with a puppy from a upcoming/future litter.

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Be sure to check back here OR you can like/follow us on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date on our future breeding plans and litter announcements (links for these social media platforms can be found at main page of our website.

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How do I reserve a puppy?

The first step to reserving a puppy is to fill out an adoption application. This electronic form can be found under the PLANNED LITTERS tab of our website. To reiterate, the PUPPIES AVAILABLE tab will be hidden from the public until puppies become available. This is because sometimes a litter is completely spoken for at time of breeding or puppies are still under evaluation.

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Puppies that are not spoken for are typically released from breeder EVALUATION and listed to our PUPPIES AVAILABLE page as AVAILABLE somewhere between 6-10 weeks of age.

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Just as every pet lover should do their due diligence with researching and interviewing potential breeders, EisenkraftK9's also screens each potential pet guardian and approves or denies applicants at our discretion. When an approved candidate expresses interest in a specific puppy, we will send a copy of our contract for review. After we receive the signed contract back, we will review it and decided if we fill that home would be a proper fit for the puppy. Once the appropriate home is selected, the puppy will get put on HOLD. We then give 24hrs for the non-refundable reservation fees to be paid. Once the reservation fee is received, this moves the puppy to a RESERVED status.

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NOTE: EisenkraftK9's holds the right to have first pick of the litter for our future breeding work, and reserves the right to refuse any person at any point in the adoption process up to and including pick up day (if remainder due has been paid in advance, it will be reimbursed accordingly).

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Additionally, submitting an application and/or returning your signed contract does not guarantee you a puppy. We do still screen all applications for final approval. A non-refundable deposit fee is what’s required to RESERVE your puppy. If the deposit is not received within 24 hours and of returning your signed contract, the puppy in question will be moved from HOLD back to AVAILABLE status. If you are approved as a potential home, but there is not an appropriate fit to provide you a puppy, your deposit will be rolled to the next planned litter. 

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What is the average price for a German Shepherd puppy?

In the United States, prices can range anywhere between $1500-$4000 depending on the breeding/lineage and limited rights vs full rights, with a total yearly maintenance cost (including food, a few toys, and excluding grooming services) of approximately $1500.

BEWARE of breeders that claim they have pedigree puppies available below the national average price range! Most times these listings are scams, for mix-breed dogs, or for puppies produced by backyard breeders and puppy mills with dogs that are not registered for breeding, have not undergone proper health screening, and/or have been raised in less than ideal living conditions.

Wether you opt to work with our program or go elsewhere, we’d be more than happy to help point you in the right direction, and connect you with like-minded breeders who also prioritize hip/elbow x-rays, health guarantees, and other screening of their breeding dogs (in the states or abroad).

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What is the cost of a EisenkraftK9 puppy?

Our puppies are all $3000.00 - this $500 non-refundable deposit and $2500.00 remaining due at 6 weeks old to allow for payments to be processed prior to pick up/transport date.

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What is a Deposit fee?

Deposit fees show a buyer’s commitment to purchasing a puppy. The reservation fee is non-refundable and required to move a puppy from a HOLD to RESERVED status. This deposit fee is due within 24 hours of being offered as an approved home for a specific pup plus the completed signed contract. 

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What forms of payment do you accept?

We currently accept the following forms of payment:

1. Venmo: We will request payment via Venmo and will require payments to be made via Family/Friends so we are not charged additional fees. If we receive a fee, deposit will not be completed until you pay the remaining fee Venmo charged us. 

2. Zelle: This is a direct transfer from bank account to bank account. 

3. Cash App : We will request payment via Cash App. 

4. Certified Bank Check: Made payable to EisenkraftK9 - Hand delivered or snail mailed.. if MAILED you must provide a tracking number to us for confirmation (send envelope via Priority Mail plus include certified mail so we have to sign for it - no exceptions!)
    

Please note: We do not accept cash or personal checks - Thank you for your understanding!

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Do you perform any type of health screening?

YES! All of our breeding dogs have been DNA tested via Embark for over 200 genetic disorders/diseases! Results of this health screening, in addition to OFA Hip/Elbow Grading results, can be viewed for our active dogs by clicking the corresponding links found under each health section profile page.

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What type of veterinary care will my puppy receive?

All of our fur family members are seen by a licensed veterinarian. We, as breeders,  give our puppies our own age appropriate vaccines and preventative deworming.
 

Before leaving each puppy will be microchipped. Because we always want to keep the best interest of the puppy in mind, if there is a reaction to a vaccination, a puppy becomes unwell, or any complications arise, the scheduled pick up date may be adjusted accordingly.

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At what age can I bring my puppy home?

Each puppy will be evaluated to determine proper health and socialization prior to leaving for it’s new home. This timeframe may vary from puppy to puppy and the type of home will be going too, but the approximate age of departure will be between 8-10 weeks of age.

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Do you offer delivery options?

We offer the option of either the puppy must either be picked up in person, from our home, and on their scheduled pickup date or we have a great flight nanny that we can arrange for you. Flight nanny is an additional costs which would include the flight fee for the nanny, puppy ticket, carrier, vet health certificate. 

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Do you offer in-home visits?

For the health and safety of our family, dogs, and puppies - we do not allow in-home puppy visits or for puppy pick up. For those approved applicants who are not local to us and interested, we are more than happy to schedule a time in advance for a FaceTime virtual visit. Once a puppy is reserved, we’ll also be sure to provide photo/video updates so that you don’t miss out on seeing your puppy mature and grow. 

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What is the average size of a German Shepherd?

The average size by standard height for males at the top of the highest point of the shoulder blade is 24 to 26 inches; and for bitches, 22 to 24 inches with an average weight ranging from 60-90 lbs.  Genetics play a role but just like humans there are recessive traits that can crop up that were not planned for. In other words, there is no way to accurately predict the future size of your puppy except guessing based off the parents and prior litters. Even if the parents are of a certain size it does not mean that the puppy will become that size, or that the puppy won’t exceed that size. 

 

On average, a male is larger than a female. Because DDR lineage German Shepherds mature slower (mentally and physically) than other lineages it can take anywhere from 2-3.5 years to reach full maturity. 

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With a growing number of German Shepherds being diagnosed with Hip and Elbow Dysplasia each year, not to mention orthopedic issues related to obesity, I would be extremely leery of a breeder that touts producing dogs of greater than average size. Especially if they cannot provide a history of hip grading results for their breeding dogs (ideally, OFA Certification of hip and elbow rating scores performed through a Health Program like Pennhip or SV).

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What do you feed your dogs and puppies?

We currently feed Purine Pro Plan 30/20 Chicken to our adults. This food can be found at local feed stores such as Tractor Supply, PetsMart, Petco, Atwood's, or our online source Chewy. In addition, we supplement with Nupro Gold Supplement (Amazon), Omega 3/6/9, Vitamin E, Bee Pollen, and others as needed for specific dietary needs. We absolutely do NOT give glucosamine to puppy's or our adult dogs. This should only be supplemented if needed with known and confirmed issues. We do include a list of what we feed and directions for any new puppy homes. 

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Is there a specific type of water/food bowl that you use?

We use strictly Stainless Steel bowls at all times. They do not rust and can be easily sanitized/cleaned. We avoid bowls made of plastic as this can cause chin acne in some pets, chewing devices and dangerous materials that also hold bacteria, etc. Other preferred bowls would be ceramic, or porcelain.

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What type of products do you use for grooming?

It’s very important to prioritize a grooming routine with your German Shepherd. Depending on the fur texture and type, some may need just a weekly combing while others may need to be brushed on a daily basis.

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We use a combination of tools. Our favorite is the Double Row Undercoat Rake and a Firm Slicker Brush and Pin Brush

We also use Kong King Kombs as well! For the occasional bath, we use Oatmeal Shampoo

When blow drying we use either a hair dryer or a high velocity dryer/blower

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What type of carrier do you use?

We prefer enclosed heavy duty metal or plastic crates for all our dogs. We are firm believers in crate training and a dog having their safe space or "den" to sleep/rest in.

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What are the best types of toys for my dog/puppy?

Our dogs really enjoy some of the following:

 

• Jolly Balls - Push n Play, Bounce n Play, Jolly Soccer Ball

• Bite Tugs,

• Rubber Tugs

• Ball on Rope

• Indestructibone

• Kong Rubber toys

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Do you offer breeding rights?

No. Not at this time. If and when we do decide to offer breeding rights, it will only be to a select few breeders we are currently networked with. These are breeders who share our ethics and breeding practices, specifically, breeders who do the same extensive health screening our program performs. Ideally, these same breeders are working towards reducing Clones% and COI% in their pedigree lines as well.
 

Does my puppy have to be spayed or neutered before leaving?

No, we have a strict contract that requires all puppies to not be spayed/neutered before 24 months of age to allow them to fully mature as needed. 

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